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LOSING THE WAY THANKS TO FINE ORGANISATION

1 June, 2006

WEBWATCH

I've never been a great fan of planning committees or selfappointed design do-gooders.

So I was bound to take a bleakish look at CABE's new site at www. cabe. org. uk - and cautiously because CABE's deputy chairman is sitting half a dozen metres down the office in the AR enclave. He's younger and eeter of foot than me.

Whatever, architects approve of CABE as a bulwark against the tide of schlock planning and Highgroveism.

And chairman, John Sorrell, is a national design treasure. So it's a surprise that the site is so civil-servantish and bland.

I suppose the website of a government advisory body can't afford to look too clever and has to include stuff about how you complain to it about itself and how people are appointed and who they are.

And it has commentary on completed buildings but it takes seven clicks to get through to design review panel commentary on an individual project. And when I typed 'Islington' into the search box I got two Islington schemes and one in Southwark.

The site declares that 'The wider CABE family? is around 350-strong.' Maybe some of them could start work on better website navigation.

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